Command line interface and Windows form in same program

  • Thread starter Thread starter Jwe
  • Start date Start date
J

Jwe

Hi,

I've written a program which has both a command line interface
and Windows form interface, however it isn't quite working
correctly.

When run from command line with no arguments it should display
the Windows form. The form is being displayed but the command
only returns when the form is closed. I want the command line to
return immediately, leaving the form displayed.

When run from Windows Explorer (by double-clicking on
TheProgram.exe) it should display the Windows form only. The
form is being displayed but a console window is also being
displayed.

When run from the command line with the correct number of
arguments it should operate on the supplied arguments and display
a message. This is working correctly.

If the correct number of arguments is supplied it should display
the command help. This is working correctly.

In Project - Properties, the Output type is 'Windows Application'
and Startup object is 'Sub Main'.

Sub Main is basically:

arguments = Environment.GetCommandLineArgs()

If arguments.Length = 1 Then
'No command line arguments so display the Windows
form
Dim frmMain As New frmWindows_Form
Application.Run(frmMain)

ElseIf arguments.Length <> 3 Then
'Required arguments not supplied, so display the help
Output_Command_Help()

Else
'Run command


Any help much appreciated. Thanks.
 
If the correct number of arguments is supplied it should display
the command help. This is working correctly.

should be:

If an incorrect number of arguments is supplied it should display
the command help. This is working correctly.
 
Hi,

I've written a program which has both a command line interface
and Windows form interface, however it isn't quite working
correctly.

When run from command line with no arguments it should display
the Windows form.  The form is being displayed but the command
only returns when the form is closed.  I want the command line to
return immediately, leaving the form displayed.

When run from Windows Explorer (by double-clicking on
TheProgram.exe) it should display the Windows form only.  The
form is being displayed but a console window is also being
displayed.

When run from the command line with the correct number of
arguments it should operate on the supplied arguments and display
a message.  This is working correctly.

If the correct number of arguments is supplied it should display
the command help.  This is working correctly.

In Project - Properties, the Output type is 'Windows Application'
and Startup object is 'Sub Main'.

Sub Main is basically:

        arguments = Environment.GetCommandLineArgs()

        If arguments.Length = 1 Then
            'No command line arguments so display the Windows
form
            Dim frmMain As New frmWindows_Form
            Application.Run(frmMain)

        ElseIf arguments.Length <> 3 Then
            'Required arguments not supplied, so display the help
            Output_Command_Help()

        Else
            'Run command <--- WHATDOES THIS DO?

Any help much appreciated.  Thanks.
Click to expand...

See note 4 lines up.
 
WinWord.exe, for example, can be started as a command line. I believe all
you would need to do in this case is to create a winforms application. If
the user starts it from a command line it should behave as you expect. Just
include your logic for the argument checks and write to Console.out.
 
Hi, thanks for your reply. Yes, that isn't clear at all. It
simply calls a subroutine in Module1:

My_Command(arguments(1), arguments(2))

Sub Main is in Module1.

This is a single VB.Net project. It has a module, Cmd_Module.vb,
which is Module Module1. And a Windows form module,
Windows_Form.vb, which is Public Class frmWindows_Form.


'Run command <--- WHAT DOES THIS
DO?

Any help much appreciated. Thanks.
Click to expand...

See note 4 lines up.
 
Hi, thanks for your reply, however I'm not trying to run any
external program like Winword in the way you describe. This is a
single .exe generated by a single VB.Net project. The project
was started as a Windows Application (to get the Form in the
project) and then changed to a console app.

"Family Tree Mike" <[email protected]>
wrote in message
 
If I change the project to a Console Application, the behaviour
is different:

1. Run TheProgram.exe from a command prompt with no arguments:
the Windows form is displayed and the command prompt returns
immediately. This works as expected.

2. Run TheProgram.exe by double-clicking it in Windows Explorer:
the Windows form is display and no console window is opened.
This works as expected.

BUT:

3. Run TheProgram.exe from a command prompt with correct number
of arguments: runs as expected, but does not display the expected
message.

4. Run TheProgram.exe from a command prompt with incorrect number
of arguments: does not display the command help.

Thanks for any tips etc.
 
Sorry, I see how I confused you. I'm trying to say to switch back to a
winform app, and just lauch it from a command line. WinWord was just an
example. You would launch MyApplication.exe if that is your built
executable. I thought however that System.IO.Console.WriteLine would still
work, but it doesn't seem to in my quick test. Sorry!
 
Jwe said:
Hi,

I've written a program which has both a command line interface
and Windows form interface, however it isn't quite working
correctly.

When run from command line with no arguments it should display
the Windows form. The form is being displayed but the command
only returns when the form is closed. I want the command line
to return immediately, leaving the form displayed.

When run from Windows Explorer (by double-clicking on
TheProgram.exe) it should display the Windows form only. The
form is being displayed but a console window is also being
displayed.

When run from the command line with the correct number of
arguments it should operate on the supplied arguments and
display a message. This is working correctly.

If the correct number of arguments is supplied it should
display the command help. This is working correctly.

In Project - Properties, the Output type is 'Windows
Application' and Startup object is 'Sub Main'.

Sub Main is basically:

arguments = Environment.GetCommandLineArgs()

If arguments.Length = 1 Then
'No command line arguments so display the Windows
form
Dim frmMain As New frmWindows_Form
Application.Run(frmMain)

ElseIf arguments.Length <> 3 Then
'Required arguments not supplied, so display the
help
Output_Command_Help()

Else
'Run command


Any help much appreciated. Thanks.
Click to expand...

http://forums.microsoft.com/MSDN/ShowPost.aspx?PostID=983493&SiteID=1
has a solution to the problem (incorporated in the code below)
which works for Visual Studio 2005 (Visual Basic 2005 Express,
Framework 2.0), but not for Visual Studio .NET 2003 (VB 2003
..NET, Framework 1.1).

Here's how to reproduce the problem using either Visual Basic
..NET 2003 or Visual Basic 2005:

Start a new Windows Application project - WindowsApplication1.
This gives Form1.vb.
Add a Module to the project - Module1.vb
Replace the empty Module1 code with the following code:

Imports System.Environment

Module Module1

Declare Function AttachConsole Lib "kernel32" (ByVal
dwProcessId As Int32) As Boolean
Declare Function FreeConsole Lib "kernel32.dll" () As Boolean

Sub Main()
Dim args As String() = GetCommandLineArgs()
If args.Length = 1 Then
'No arguments so show windows form
Dim frmMain As New Form1
Application.Run(frmMain)
Else
AttachConsole(-1)
Console.WriteLine("Arguments supplied")
FreeConsole()
End If
End Sub

End Module


For VB 2003, in Project - Properties, leave Output type as
Windows Application and change Startup object to Sub Main.
For VB 2005, in Project - Properties, untick Enable application
framework, leave Output type as Windows Application and change
Startup object to Sub Main.

Build the project, then open a command prompt and run
WindowsApplication1.exe from it as follows:

1. With no arguments. The form is displayed and the command
prompt returns immediately, allowing other commands to be
entered. Required behaviour.

2. With any number of arguments. The 'Arguments supplied' is
displayed for the VB 2005 application, but not for VB 2003.

3. Run it from Windows Explorer. The form is displayed and a
separate console window is not opened. Required behaviour.

So case 2 isn't working as required for VB 2003.

The AttachConsole and FreeConsole functions described in the link
above make case 2 work for VB 2005.

For the VB 2003 application, it fixes case 2 for a Debug build,
but has no effect for a Release build, which is exactly the same
findings as
http://groups.google.co.uk/group/microsoft.public.dotnet.languages.vb/msg/2d1643af7419e141

I'm interested in why it doesn't work for the VB 2003 Release
build, and any ideas for alternative fixes.

cheers,
 
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